BPC Bulletin: Quebec Police Confiscate Horror Novel; Author and Publisher Face Porn Charges
News Reports and Commentary Selected by Franklin Carter of the Book and Periodical Council’s Freedom of Expression Committee
On March 14, 2019, police in Quebec raided the home of author Yvan Godbout and the office of publisher Nycolas Doucet. The police confiscated copies of Mr. Godbout’s horror novel Hansel et Gretel.
The novel, which appeared in 2017, depicts the rape of a child. Both Mr. Godbout and Mr. Doucet were charged with producing and distributing child pornography and then released. A court appearance is scheduled in April.
Éditions AdA publishes Hansel et Gretel, which is unlike the fairy tale of the same name.
http://www.ada-inc.com/les-contes-interdits-hansel-et-gretel.html
REPORTAGE
Louis Gagné of Radio-Canada reports:
https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1158651/arrestation-auteur-yvan-godbout-accusations-pornographie-juvenile-hansel-gretel
In Le Devoir, Magdaline Boutros reports:
https://www.ledevoir.com/lire/550338/censure
Comedian Mike Ward has denounced the charges.
In the Quebec edition of The Huffington Post, Jean-François Vandeuren reports:
https://quebec.huffingtonpost.ca/2019/03/20/mike-ward-yvan-godbout-pornographie-juvenile_a_23696478/
COMMENTARY
At Double Aspect, Leonid Sirota comments:
https://doubleaspect.blog/2019/03/20/bad-taste/
In Le Journal de Montréal, Léolane Kemner comments:
https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2019/03/20/yvan-godbout-ou-la-responsabilite-dexpression
At ActuaLitté, Arnaud Foulon comments:
The Union des écrivaines et des écrivains Québécois (the writers’ union of Quebec) comments:
https://www.uneq.qc.ca/2019/03/20/yvan-godbout/
Charles Montpetit, our colleague in Montreal, notes that Hansel et Gretel was a finalist for the 2018 Prix Aurora-Boréal.
http://congresboreal.ca/2018/04/19/gagnants_2018/
He adds that by March 21, 2019, more than 10,100 people had signed a petition at www.change.org. They urged the police to drop the charges against the author and publisher.
The Book and Periodical Council was formed in 1975 as the Book and Periodical Development Council to provide a venue for members to discuss industry issues, address mutual concerns and undertake projects for the benefit of Canadian writing and publishing.